We value Sunetra Sarker for the humour she brings to forceful women, and for the care she takes over their differences. Her work is most rewarding when the character has more to do than speak her mind.
Fi1m perspective
In Informer (2018), Sadia Shar is witty without being easy to read. Sunetra Sarker is well suited to a woman with a sense of humour and things to conceal, because she can move between comedy and seriousness without making either feel like an interruption. We were absorbed by the series because its characters rewarded close attention, though its tangled plotting sometimes made us impatient. Nabhaan Rizwan and Paddy Considine lead the drama, while Sarker contributes to its interest in family life and the things people keep to themselves.
Ideal (2005) gives her a recurring comic part as Sangita in Graham Duff's slow, dark sitcom. The small-time hash dealer stays in his flat, and the other characters come to him. We like the patience of that arrangement, up to the point where the lack of plot begins to feel limiting. The strongest reason to watch remains Johnny Vegas, who gives the comedy a sadness most sitcoms would avoid.
The larger parts have often been women with strong opinions and practical responsibilities. In No Angels (2004), Sarker played Anji Mittel, one of the four nurses at the centre of the comedy-drama. Dr Zoe Hanna then gave her a long-running central role in Casualty (2007–2016), with a doctor's flaws and rebelliousness built into the part. Those are useful qualities for her: forcefulness gets our attention, but faults and private concerns give her more to play than competence alone.
Ackley Bridge (2017–2022) brought a different set of responsibilities as Kaneez Paracha, a protective Pakistani single mother and school dinner lady. Sarker developed a hybrid Bradford-Punjabi accent, taking care that Kaneez sounded different from her earlier characters. Ayub Khan Din wrote for the programme, and Jo Joyner, her co-star in No Angels, worked alongside her again. Start with Informer for the humour and the secrets; try Ackley Bridge to hear how deliberately she can change the voice.
Biography
Sunetra Sarker is a British actress and presenter. She was born on 25 June 1973 in Liverpool and studied at Brunel University London.
She began her career with a recurring role as Nisha Batra in the Channel 4 soap Brookside (1988–1991, 2000–2003). Subsequent notable television roles include Anji Mittel in No Angels (2004–2006), Sangita in Ideal (2005–2008), Dr Zoe Hanna in Casualty (2007–2016, with later returns), and Kaneez Paracha in Ackley Bridge (2017–2022). She has also appeared in Doctor Who (2012), Broadchurch (2013), Death in Paradise (2017), The Bay (2019) and The Responder (2022).
In 2014 Sarker competed in the twelfth series of Strictly Come Dancing. She has worked as a presenter and panellist on programmes including Loose Women and Celebrity Gogglebox.
